Knowing how to lower your electric bill in the summer is on all of our minds, and if you’ve read some of my posts then it should come as no surprise to you that I am a firm believer that your air conditioner is not the end-all be-all of home comfort. It is only a part of a bigger picture. However, it’s important to know that your air conditioner is responsible for about half of your power bill in the summer. So the question is, how can you lower your electric bill in the summer or more specifically, how do you reduce your air conditioning costs in the summer? Those of you who have read our articles, know that we are a small, U.S. Veteran-Owned heating and air conditioning company that has built our reputation on giving honest answers; this will be no different. People sometimes don’t realize that there are several factors that go into determining how efficiently your HVAC system runs, but figuring out how to keep your power bill low in the summer is not as hard as it sounds (I’m not talking about keeping your house at 85 degrees either). These four power saving tips will show you how to make your air conditioning system run more efficiently, how to reduce the power used, and how to lower your electric bill in the summer.

Lowering Your Electric Bill in the Summer

Below we have given you a list of things you can do to lower your electric bill in the summer. Whether you realize it, or not, all of these are related to the HVAC industry; even landscaping. Landscaping affects the shade line of your home, which in turn, will affect your heat-load calculation, making it more or less efficient. Let’s take a look at a few of these tips.

How to Lower Your Electric Bill in the Summer – Tip #1 – Landscaping

Landscaping isn’t just about how your home looks, but is so much more important if you are going to figure out exactly how to lower your electric bill in the summer. Did you know that landscaping is a fundamental part of helping your HVAC unit run more efficiently? Here’s an article on landscaping to reduce energy costs: Landscaping to Save Energy.

Most people think that the hot air outside is what drives the temperature up in their house, but radiant heating (heating directly from the sun – the sun hitting a wall, for instance) constitutes the majority of what is actually heating up your house or business, putting a strain on your air conditioner, and driving up your electricity bill.

So, the outside air temperature doesn’t raise your electric bill quite as much as you might think. In fact, air is extremely inefficient at transferring heat, which is why it’s such a great insulator. A tip from ASM: plant a couple of large trees on the sunward side of the house might be the key to figuring out how to lower your electric bill by as much as 20%.

How to Keep Your Power Bill Low in the Summer – Tip #2 – Window Screens

Solar Window Screens – no, we aren’t talking about the expensive rigs that go on your roof, we are talking about a thin mesh installed on the outside of your windows (particularly east-west facing windows) to help reduce energy costs. In fact, this simple solution can decrease the radiant energy that hits your windows by 60-70%, decreasing the amount of energy spent by your air conditioning unit, thus helping you lower your electric bill.

Avoid using ceiling fans, or more importantly, learn how to use them properly – it seems counter intuitive, but ceiling fans are the last thing you want if you have a properly installed HVAC system. Your air conditioning system is designed to blow air into the extremities of your house, and to allow for proper circulation back to the AC return (if done right). Using a fan disturbs this natural air flow, and can create stagnation.

Think of your HVAC system as being kind of like your cardiovascular system – your air conditioner itself is like your heart, the ducting is like your arteries carrying air to your home, and the home and hallways are like your veins, carrying air back to your HVAC unit. Now, imagine someone comes and sets up a fan in your leg, blowing the blood back down to your foot instead of towards your heart. Enough said? Ceiling fans can be effective at keeping you cool, but only use them for the room you are in and don’t keep them on when you leave the room – Tip: turn the ceiling fan off when you leave a room, and you can lower your electric bill significantly.

Maintain or replace your HVAC system (if necessary). No, this isn’t a shameful plug for ASM (maybe it is), but the US Department of Energy reports that replacing your old air conditioner with a newer, more energy efficient HVAC unit could lower your electric bill by up to 50%. Let’s face it – that’s a big hunk of cash. However, don’t get carried away…there’s a time to replace your air conditioner, and there’s a time to repair or service it. Here’s an article to get you going on the right track:

Final Thoughts on Lowering Your Electric Bill in the Summer

In the end, running your air conditioner can become a lot more cost effective by following just a few of these simple HVAC tips, helping you lower your electric bill, and taking the edge off of summer. More questions on your air conditioner or tips to save you money? For more information on this and other air conditioning questions, visit the ASM Air Conditioning Blog. If you live in Southern California, then you might be in our service area! Click below for more information:

The University of Virginia - 2005 / The Wharton School of Finance - 2016 / U.S. Naval Aviator 2005-2015.
At All Systems Mechanical air conditioning and heating, we believe that the experience our clients have is every bit as important as the products they receive. Simply put, our results speak for themselves, and we'd be happy to help.
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